


In Uncertain Lands

by courgette96



Series: Lords of Wild Space [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Diplomatic meetings, Hand Jobs, Hux is Not Nice, Lady Hux raised him, M/M, Power Play, Public Display of Affection, Warlord Hux, alternate universe - warlords, mention of slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-06-06 05:15:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6739513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/courgette96/pseuds/courgette96
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Empire never rose from its ashes. The remaining officers divided themselves into hundreds of factions, each breeding warlords scrambling for power and land within the Outer Rim.</p><p>That is, until one man put an end to it by conquering all.</p><p>Fifteen years after her son's disappearance, Leia Organa meets with Supreme Warlord Hux on a diplomatic venture. What she finds there brings her no peace.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Uncertain Lands

**Author's Note:**

  * For [5ofSpades](https://archiveofourown.org/users/5ofSpades/gifts).



> Fill for the TFA kinkmeme prompt: http://tfa-kink.dreamwidth.org/3961.html?thread=9545849#cmt9545849  
> Gifting this to 5ofspades, who was the OP over on the kinkmeme and deserves full credit for the idea. Go read her fics, they are stunning!  
>  
> 
> EDIT: Beta'd by the amazing Wren_ofthewildwood, who so bravely defend proper grammar and spelling from my wicked ways!

Outer Rim planets seldom had any state of the art technology, and this one was no exception. While this space shuttle was admittedly in better condition than most, it was still an old model, smaller and slower than the ones Leia was used to.

She didn’t mind. The added time was more than welcome in order to prepare the upcoming meeting.

“You’re fidgeting, Poe,” she commented with a smile, looking knowingly at her travel companion.

The pilot looked sheepish, almost apologetic. He had no need to be: this was a delicate enterprise, and although loyalty had made him follow her out here, there was little a pilot could do once on land. “With all due respect, Senator,” he said after clearing his throat, “I am not comfortable stepping into a den of wild Imperials.”

Leia sighed. “They are not savages, Poe.” That wasn’t the root of his discomfort though. “The Empire is gone, and most of these people hardly ever knew it. The New Republic has often spoken about offering true assistance to the Outer Rim. It is time we put our words into action.

“They seem to be doing pretty fine on their own.”

Leia didn’t answer, mainly because Poe was right. The Outer Rim had gained a new kind of stability, one that for all its distasteful origins still allowed it to prosper. The many war tribes that had plagued it were now almost completely gone, annihilated by the man she was currently one her way to meet.

Supreme Warlord Hux. If anyone knew his first name, no one dared speak it aloud, and there were no official records that would bear it. Yet that one monosyllabic surname had been more than enough to carry his reputation all the way to the Core Worlds, simply by word of mouth.

Stories about a young war chief, whose power had been steadily increasing before suddenly massively multiplying. A conqueror who managed to go from a few planets under his thumb to almost every system in the Outer Rim. Tales about brutality, swift maneuvers and brilliant strategy more than making up for smaller numbers and lesser technology.

Although those last two hardly seemed the case now. His troops could be counted by the thousands, all unexpectedly loyal despite most of them coming from annexed rival tribes. As for technology, he had at least gained enough that he could afford to bring each delegate in their own individual shuttle.

An understandable precaution, but it had still unnerved more than a few of her peers who had expected to step on this planet with the upper hand.

The shuttle landed, and Leia was soon assaulted with Raddan’s peculiar environment. The ice blue sky made one expect an arctic climate, yet it was more temperate than anything else. The plain they were standing in was covered in grey moss which gave off a mild heat. Leia guessed there was a water source nearby, but she could see none. The only element that stood out was the black tent that was mounted a few feet away from them.

She should have known better than to think Hux would welcome them in any of his permanent bases.

“I must admit,” a delegate from Cerea half-grumbled, “I was expecting more comfortable accomodations.”

“Comfort is a luxury in these places.” The tone was cordial if cold, the voice carrying a hint of Core world accent. It was a sharp contrast to the man who had stepped out of the tent.

Semi-long hair and ginger beard so unlike the more groomed fashion the Senators around her sported contrasted with his dark longcoat. Beneath it were a disheveled white shirt and grey pants, which were tucked into sturdy, well-used boots. Leia thought she saw the outline of vibroblades and blasters hidden in the seams of his outfit.

Supreme Warlord Hux smiled a smile much too wide to be genuine. “Although I am certain you are well aware of that fact.”

The Cerean delegate bristled, as the remark was obviously intended. Fortunately, the trained diplomat didn’t react further than pursed lips and a puffed chest. The last thing they needed was to give Hux cause for complaint.

The head of the delegation stepped forward. “Supreme Warlord Hux, my name is Senator Telana,” she said, dipping her head slightly in greeting. “I speak for all my gathered delegates here when I say it is an honor to meet you. May these negotiations be fruitful for both parties.”

“May they indeed.” Hux’s voice was flat despite the pleasantries uttered.

Telana wasn’t deterred. “I assume they will take place in the tent you have provided for the occasion?”

“Yes, they will.”

“Good,” she continued with a bright, if slightly forced smile, “then perhaps we may..”

“You are getting ahead of yourself, Senator.”

That finally rattled her. Her mouth snapped shut as Hux looked at her with cold eyes, slightly narrowed in contempt. It wasn’t so much the look that was disconcerting as the aura that radiated off him. Disapproval and scorn almost palpable, absolute authority in his demeanor. Confidence, and intimidation.

Like this, Leia could see the man who had conquered the outer systems.

“Pardon, I…” Telana stammered, but Hux cut her off.

“How can you say we have met each other,” he reprimanded drily, “when none of your colleagues have had the courtesy to introduce themselves to me?”

“I.. ,” Telana swallowed. When she spoke again, her voice was much steadier, a valiant effort at regaining control of the situation. “Such protocol is usually done around the table.”

“On the Core worlds, perhaps.” A hint of a smirk. “Here, we do not allow anyone in our domain without knowing precisely who that person is. If anything… untowards happens, we know who to hunt down,” he finishes casually.

It was a petty demand, a small power play, but one they had no choice but to submit to. Leia could see several of her fellow delegates rethink their assumptions as the introduced themselves: many had been expecting a simple warlord, good at simple military tactics and not much more.

Clearly, this man was much more.

“An honor, Supreme Warlord,” she said when her turn came. “I am Senator Leia Organa.”

Hux’s smile, which had been cordial for each delegate, turned sharp and predatorial at that. “Ah, yes. I have heard much about you.”

Leia frowned. “And who may I ask told y…”

The words died on her lips when she saw him step out of the tent.

He looked different, of course he did, but she could recognized that face anywhere, even marred as it was by the scar running through it. His hair was longer than she had ever seen it, black locks as lovely as when he was a boy, and he was so, so tall, and he never did quite grow into those ears.

And he was Ben. He was _Ben_ , and surely the Galaxy had just collapsed around them because there was nothing else in the world but him. Her son.

“Senator, is that...?” Poe whispered from behind her.

She didn’t answer. She couldn’t even move.

“Supreme Warlord,” Telana said, smugness seeping into her tone as she found an excuse to reprimand him, “in an effort to follow your own rules, perhaps you can introduce the person behind you.”

Hux looked more amused than anything else. “Of course, Senator.”

He gestured for the man behind him ( for Ben _, Ben, Ben!)_ to step forward. The second warrior was dressed all in black: dark robes concealing the movement of his legs, heavy leather protecting his arms. His clothes looked thoroughly battered, but he didn’t seem the type to care.

“This is Kylo Ren,” Hux said, gesturing towards her son as if he were a bauble of particular interest. Leia’s fists clenched. “I suppose you could call him my enforcer, though really his duties are not _exclusively_ killing on my command.”

Telana startled. “These are suppose to be peaceful talks…”

“You have all brought your personal aids, haven’t you?” Hux asked, waving his hand in the air dismissively. “Well, Kylo Ren is mine. I insist he be present.”

Around her, she could hear the delegates muttering amongst themselves, Poe trying to discreetly call her name. She wanted to answer, wanted to participate, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of the man in black.

He had been so, so young when she last saw him, and it pained her to see how much the years have changed him after all. Despite his recognizable features, there was a harshness to him that hadn’t been present in her twelve year old child. His entire demeanor was sullen, almost hostile, and his eyes were too dark pits that held none of the mirth they once had.

He was looking at her, calm, unblinking, and Leia almost couldn’t bare the stare.

 _He doesn’t know me,_ she thought frantically, _he looks at me as if I were a stranger._

“If we may proceed, Supreme Warlord?” Telana asked.

Perhaps it is for the best, she thought. If he didn’t remember her, if he didn’t wish to acknowledge her, then these negotiations will be much smoother. She’ll be able to approach him in a better moment, quiet, to the side. She’ll be able to work to take him back home, away from Hux and away from all the bloodshed that was so common here.

Yes, she thought as the delegates slowly entered the tent, this isn’t the right time. It is better to wait.

It’s how I’ll bring him home, she added mentally as she looked up one more time. And she froze.

Ben was smiling, the same falsely sweet smile he would give her whenever he had been up to something. Leia could feel dread rise in her as that smile grew, and despite the still persistent mumbles among the delegates, the roar in her ears, she heard his words with perfect clarity.

“Hello, mother,” he said loudly, so loudly the entire delegation grew quiet as his words hung into the air. “It has been some time, hasn’t it?”

And pandemonium erupted, all under Ben’s self-satisfied smile and Hux’s victorious grin.

 

~*~

 

It took a long time for the Senators to calm down. It took even longer for Leia to persuade them of her own ignorance. Her throat tightened every time she affirmed that she didn’t know that Ben was here, didn’t know of his status in Hux’s army. She clasped her hands together to keep them from trembling whenever they answered with disbelieving stares. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from agreeing with them.

How could she not know? How could she have _missed_ this? 

There was no doubt in her mind that Hux had carefully concealed that information, but still, she should have known, somehow. Should have come sooner. 

Shouldn’t ever have let him go.

When the arguing had calmed enough that the Senators could all be herded into the tent, the delegates were all directed towards a large durasteel table. It was thick, sturdy, obviously heavy and Leia spared a second of thought wondering just how they managed to transport it all the way here.

“Before these negotiations begin,” Senator Telana said when the tent was somewhat silent, “Supreme Warlord, did you know?”

There was no question as what she was referring to. The matter of Ben’s presence here had to be put to rest before they could all go forward. 

Hux linked his hands together, laying them on the table before him. He and Ben were an island of two on one end, surrounded by a few lower ranking officers serving as guards. The delegates were all gathered on the other side. The strategic part of Leia couldn’t help but notice that like this, they would get in each other’s way should they wish to attack, whereas Ben and Hux had distance and liberty of range on their side. 

“Yes,” the warlord answered. “I was aware.”

Telana took a deep breath. “Then why did you say nothing?”

“I found it irrelevant.”

“Irrelevant?!” one of her colleagues cried out in obvious dismay. “Did you not even consider possible conflicts of interests?!”

Hux smiles pleasantly. “I assure you, Senator, any such conflict would be entirely on your part. Past experiences have already proven that family bonds have little influence in our affairs.”

The other Senators looked puzzled, but for Leia, who had spent years mulling over her family and all the blame they shared, knew precisely what he was talking about.

“You mean Han Solo,” she said, voice flat.

She hadn’t seen Han in years. She couldn’t, not after what he did. Not after he lost Ben.

She knew that his guilt was immeasurable, knew that he would never forgive himself, but that didn’t mean she could forgive him. No matter how much she may have loved him, there was a Ben sized void in between them that would some days keep her from even looking at him.

She hadn’t met his eyes when he left on the Falcon one day. He never came back.

“He has been one of the many smugglers I have dealt with” Hux continued. His tone was casual, almost bored. “Never interacted with him personally of course, I am much too busy for that. Although…” He paused then, glancing to his right towards Ben, and smirked. “He has been fairly _reliable_ these past few years, so perhaps a meeting is due.”

Ben glared at him. 

Hux raised an eyebrow.

Ben pursed his lips, then sunk back into his seat.

“We do not mean to doubt your integrity,” Telana said after a heavy silence, slightly unnerved by the silent communication. “However, it is difficult to conceive that you would deem this information of little importance, if only for transparency’s sake.”

“I believe I was very transparent,” Hux shrugged. “Kylo Ren is mine, and that is all there is to it.”

“Yours?”

Poe voiced Leia’s thoughts as her own outrage left her speechless. She knew what happened to children who got stolen, of course she did, but somehow she thought… If Ben was so high ranked….

Her son looked at her for the first time since the beginning of the meeting, and deliberately pulled up his sleeves to reveal golden shackles on each of his wrists. Finely carved, lined with leather to prevent chaffing, but shackles none the less.

The Cerean delegate gave out a cry of dismay. “He’s a slave?!” 

“Technically, yes,” Ben answered. 

Leia was torn between revelling in the sound of her son’s voice - so much deeper, so much smoother than the shy, self-conscious thing it had been in the past - and ragging at the words themselves. “There is no technicality in freedom,” she said through gritted teeth, eyes never leaving Hux. “You led us to believe he was here by choice.”

The warlord was unmoved. “I assure you, his status is much more of an advantage to him than anything else.”

“How?”

Hux sighed, reclining in his chair. “Let me put it simply: if my best warrior is wounded by an ambitious competitor, he would quickly experience a fall from grace. Strongest at the top and all that.” A pause. “On the other hand, should my property be damaged…” His smile was all teeth. “Well, let’s just say that I am very attached to my belongings.”

Amidst the uncomfortable silence that had once again settled, Ben rolled his eyes and huffed. “As if anyone could wound me.”

“The scar could have fooled me,” Poe mumbled next to her. Leia didn’t want to be angry at him for it ; she knew it was his attempt at making the situation somehow lighter. 

It’s just that she hasn’t been in the mood to laugh for almost twenty years.

“It just looks so wound-like,” he continued, so softly she knew only she could hear it.

Or at least, she thought so, until Ben turned to look at them sharply, eyes narrowing. “That was an unfortunate incident involving a faulty weapon.” He turned back towards the Senators, still glaring. “If we are done…?”

If Hux minded at all the initiative, he didn’t show it. Instead he nodded, and addressed the assembly. “I must admit, esteemed Senators,” he said, the irony in his voice barely concealed, “I was surprised to receive a message from your Republic. It has been some time since you have shown any interest in our fate.”

That the warlord would raise such a point was more than predictable. Telana gave the prepared answer. “It is true, the New Republic has been preoccupied as of late. The rise of Lord Snoke has caused many long lasting conflicts all the way into the Core Rim, and that situation has only been recently resolved.”

“Resolved,” Hux repeated thoughtfully. “A gentle word for “murdered”.”

“Master Rey Antilles acted in the best interest of the Galaxy, during a time of war,” the delegate from Naboo replied. “Her actions can in no way be considered criminal.”

Leia looked at Ben, hoping to spot a reaction to the name of his cousin. It was only through careful scrutiny that she spotted his slightly clenched jaw and squared shoulders. 

Hux’s expression turned more somber as well. “Of course not, Senator. Believe me, I am as pleased as anyone that the man is dead.” His left thumb came to rub against the palm of his right hand, even as his words gained an aggressive tone that put several Senators on edge. “He has been a… threat, in the past. In fact, I humbly ask that you transmit to Master Rey my most sincere gratitude.”

“Of course,” Telana responded, before clearing her throat. “To return to the matter at hand, now that the Republic has regained its stability, we are ready to discuss your integration to the Senate.”

Hux didn’t answer right away. His eyes were on Ben, who stoically kept his eyes trained on some detail on the tent walls. 

No word was spoken, but when Hux looked away his hand he took a deep breath and reached out his hand to Ben, toying with the shackle on Ben’s left wrist. Ben relaxed visibly. 

No one commented.

“That discussion is simple,” the warlord finally said, looking back to Telana, “it will not happen. We will not put ourselves under the Republic’s boot.”

“The Senate strives for equal representation for each planet. It will not…”

“Care about the Outer Rim, nor about our input,” Hux interrupted. “Moreover, if you truly wished to have each planet of my Empire represented, you would have to build a bigger building.”

The negotiations continued that way for quite some time. Telana and Hux led the discussion, while other Senators occasionally added their input. Leia tried to invest herself in the proceedings as much as possible, but her eyes kept darting back to Ben, who was pointedly not looking back. Her son hardly said a word during the two hours they sat there.

Throughout it all, Poe was a silent support behind her, one she was growing increasingly grateful for. 

Eventually, the main points were agreed upon, and the delegates were left arguing over minor details. A few of the more hostile Senators sometimes dragged out the proceedings over petty arguments, but Telana quickly put an end to it before the warlord could be offended. 

After the third guard shift - Leia had to admire how seamless and silent each rotation was - Ben stiffened. His demeanor went from bored to alert in a second. Eyes scanning the room, he leaned to the side to whisper into Hux’s ear. 

The warlord’s eyes hardened. He stood up, ignoring the Senators’ surprised protest.

“A moment, Senators. There is a matter to be dealt with.”

It all happened very fast afterwards.

A man cried out behind them, in shock and in rage. Leia barely had the time to turn her head in order to see one of Hux’s warriors draw out his blaster. A delegate yelped as he aimed for Hux, and fired. 

The blast hurled towards the warlord at breathtaking speed.

Ben was faster.

In an instant, his arm was raised, and the bolt stopped right over the center of the durasteel table. Not even letting the aggressor a second to react, he jumped on the table, arm still raised as the attacker’s hands started clawing at his throat. 

He launched himself at the man, and Leia’s heart stopped to see him pass so close to the frozen blast. But Ben seemed oblivious, and in a few quick moves had Hux’s would-be-assassin pinned against the table, his hand around the man’s throat and squeezing tightly.

The closest of the Senators recoiled a few steps even as Hux calmly made his around the table. Ben didn’t even look at him as he came to stand behind him.

“A moment, Kylo.”

“He is a traitor!” Ben snarled. “He doesn’t deserve a minute -”

“Kylo,” Hux said again. The tone was neither warning nor cajoling ; Hux was simply repeating the name he insisted on calling her son, yet it was enough to have Ben relent, just a little. His grip loosened, but he never let go of his hold. 

Hux eyed the still struggling man. “I understand you take issue with my leadership style?”

“...Negotiations…” the man wheezed out. The venom that had been in his eyes quickly shifted into fear when Ben growled, yet still he continued. “You weaken us… No compromise, but conquest….”

Hux sighed. “I have always found you terrible short sighted, Thanisson.”

He stepped backward, and crossed his hands behind his back. 

“It seems you have proven me right.”

Then, as if prompted by an invisible signal, Ben moved. His hand sneaked into his robes, and came out with a long vibroblade. The hand on Thanisson’s throat was replaced with a sharp edge.

The spray of blood was much larger than anything she had seen before ; blasters were made of impact and burns, cauterizing the wound the same moment they inflicted it. Here though, the arteries and veins were still wide open and blood still poured out of them even after the initial burst. 

Ben, looming over the man, had caught most of it. It was an added red scar to his face, a crimson slash down his clothing, dots on his shoulders like morbid freckles. 

A few stray drops landed on Hux’s boots. The warlord didn’t even look down. 

“Kriff!” someone shouted. 

Neither of the men acknowledged her. Ben turned around slowly, and Leia’s heart froze at the stillness of his gaze, made even more terrible by the slight smile he wore when Hux stepped forward.

The redhead dug through his coat to remove a handkerchief. Slowly, he took the blade from Ben’s hands, wiped it clean and put it back himself inside the taller man’s robes. 

Throughout it all, green eyes never looked away from black ones. 

Telana, who had been sitting very close to the action, stood in outrage. “Hux!” she yelled, foregoing the title completely. “This is… this is murder! Unlawful execution!”

“In the New Republic, perhaps,” Hux replied, still not looking at her. “In my army, treason has but one punishment.”

“We cannot...The Senate cannot abide such actions!”

“Why not?” The warlord finally turned towards her, gaze cold. “You were more than happy letting us kill each other so long as it was out of your sight. Worry not, Senator, next time I will make sure that your eyes are closed.”

Telana held his gaze for a moment longer, before looking away with a hiss.

The blaster bolt released and tore a hole in the tent wall. Cold night air immediately swept in. 

With a dead body on the floor, and Ben splattered crimson, it almost seemed appropriate. 

 

~*~

 

They were moved from the black tent to a larger, crimson colored one. Leia hadn’t seen it when she first arrived, so she could only assume it had been mounted while the negotiations took place. 

It was impressive, considering the work that was obviously involved. Not only had setting up the tent required at least fifteen people, but the inside had been completely furnished with thick tapestries, plush cushions and low tables. There were no dining table or high chairs in sight, meaning they were intended to eat on the ground. 

It was, all in all, a surprisingly comfortable arrangement: there were more than enough pillows and small stools for everyone, and the slight heat coming off of the mossy ground gave a pleasant warmth. Of course, a few of her colleagues found it difficult to sit down in their long robes, but Leia could only imagine that Hux wasn’t too heartbroken about that. 

Food was brought out, simple fare but tasty and plentiful. More importantly, wine was brought as well, and Leia saw a few of the delegates indulge more than precaution would dictate.

It seems many of them still haven’t recovered from Thanisson’s brutal end earlier that night.

For Hux and Ben, however, that matter seemed to have been forgotten entirely. It was very nearly sickening.

Her son had washed and changed out of his bloody clothes, but Leia couldn’t bring herself to rejoice at that since his new outfit was hardly any better. The bottom half was nothing noteworthy, practical if slightly form-fitting pants tucked into well-used boots. And yes, the pants hung rather low on the waist, but that wasn’t what made Leia’s teeth clench.

Ben was wearing something that might have been a light coat once, all black fabric and gold embroidery down to mid-thigh. But the sleeved had been torn off, leaving his arms bare, and it was much too small for him to close ; his bare chest was more than exposed to everyone’s eyes, and more importantly, to Hux’s hands.

The warlord had Ben sitting on his lap, long limbs tangled with his, Ben’s back pressed against Hux’s chest. His long fingers were trailing all over her son’s skin, lingering on the well-defined eight-pack in a light yet possessive caress. Ben leaned into the touch, chuckling at something Hux whispered in his ear then gasping when a pink tongue came to lick the crook of his neck.

Next to her, Poe made a sound of dismay. Leia’s grip around her cup tightened.

“Is all well, Senator Organa? One would think you are not enjoying yourself.”

Leia looked up. The woman speaking to her was rather small, grey hair largely streaked with red pulled in a loose bun at the back of her head. Like everyone here, her clothes were more practical than esthetical, but she still wore a few pieces of jewelry as embellishments.

She would have looked harmless, perhaps even benevolent, if it weren’t for her blue-grey eyes, which were filled with calculation as she looked at Leia.

“I assure you that is not the case, Lady Hux,” the Senator answered, adopting the coldly polite tone she reserved for her less-liked peers. She recognized the woman from her briefing-files ; she was one of the few people here who had Empire-era identification data, and therefore a picture to match the name.

The old woman smiled, sweetly polite and minimally sincere. “You are not uncomfortable, then?”

“Not at all.”

There was nothing inviting in Leia’s words, but that doesn’t stop Lady Hux from sitting down next to her, leaning towards her like the close friends they are not. “I understand that people from the Core worlds may be unfamiliar with this seating arrangement.” She gestures towards the decor. “It had become something of a tradition here, you see, a sign of good intent. Much more difficult to attack someone when sitting cross legged on the floor.”

If this was suppose to be an intimidation technique, it was a poor one. “As I said, I am fine.”

The Lady smiled tightly before diverting her attention to Poe. “Young man, kindly remind me of your name?”

The pilot frowned. “Poe Dameron… my Lady,” he added after a moment of deliberation. 

“Dear Poe,” the old woman simpered, "would you mind giving Senator Organa and me some privacy? I wish to speak about matters that are for her ears only.”

Poe hesitated, looking at Leia for confirmation.

Loathe as she was to give in to the woman’s demands, Leia nodded once. She knew her pilot wouldn’t be far away should anything happen.

All too soon, she was left alone with Lady Hux, whose attention was trained on their sons.

“I saw you watching our boys,” she said, not looking away. “They make quite a pair, do they not?”

The topic of conversation was expected, but it didn’t stop Leia from stiffening slightly. Whatever followed, it would not be pleasant, and so she weighed each word as she spoke. “I wasn’t aware of their relationship until very recently.”

“You weren’t aware of much at all,” Lady Hux answered airily. 

The flippant yet destructive words were like a punch in the gut, and for a moment Leia was left breathless at just how casually the woman could toy with an open wound. 

Then again, Lady Hux was a mother as well; she would know exactly where to strike. 

“Ah, but you shouldn’t blame yourself,” she added with false compassion. Leia hated her. “Force suppressing shackles are rare, but not impossible to find, and necessary if a slave-trader wants to keep his special bounty hidden.”

Leia thought of the shackles around Ben’s wrists… But no, those were too delicate, too finely crafted to hold the technology necessary. “He doesn’t wear them any more.”

The Lady hummed in agreement. “I admit I don’t understand the mechanism behind it. I have not a lick of Force sensitivity, and dear Kylo is not the most eloquent teacher when it comes to explaining such things.” She shook her head fondly. 

Leia could taste _jealousy_ , like bile in her mouth. That Hux, both of them, could claim such familiarity with Ben when she could not...

She didn’t let it show, however. She wouldn’t let this woman win.

“From what I gathered, he has become quite skilled at hiding himself from other Force users,” the Lady finally concluded, “though I have no idea how he developed that talent.”

“There were many looking for him. Not just my family.”

Leia thought of Snoke, the danger that had been lurking for so long. When she lost Ben, she had been terrified that Snoke would get his hands on him. It had been a perverse sort of relief when she learned that he too could not find him. Right now, she couldn’t help but be relieved that Ben had managed to hide from him; that he had wanted to at all. 

Of course, with that joy came the bitter truth that Snoke hadn’t been the only one Ben was hiding from. 

“How strange, you wouldn’t have thought it when I purchased him,” Hux commented almost humorously. “No one wanted him, too dangerous. I dare say the vendor was almost relieved when I took him off his hands.”

Leia’s world grinded to a stop. She turned her head sharply, eyes wide as she took in the red headed woman, who was still smiling kindly, looking at her son with warm eyes that turned cold when she looked upon Leia. 

“ _You_ bought him?” the Senator asked slowly.

“Hmmm… Dear Brendan,” she explained, gesturing towards Hux, “was overworking himself. Our situation wasn’t nearly as stable as it is now, you see, and he does worry so. I thought a distraction would do him some good, and Kylo…” She chuckled playfully. “Well, his physique is quite impressive, isn’t it?”

Leia closed her eyes. She knew the woman was toying with her, knew she was trying to get a reaction out of her so as to gain more leverage.

That knowledge only stopped her from striking Hux; it didn’t keep the growl out of her voice. “You bought my son… to make him Hux’s _whore_?!”

The Lady raised an eyebrow. “Of course not. Whores get paid. I got him as a plaything.” She huffed. “Of course, Brendan never really knew how to play. Only became interested in Kylo when he positively _destroyed_ three of his best men for their wandering hands.”

“And then he made him fight in his battles.”

That, of all things, is what made the woman’s pleasant demeanor fall. Her smile disappeared, her eyes turned cold, and there was something almost defensive about her tone. “Don’t underestimate your son so. He is a survivor, he adapted quickly.” She looked towards Ben, still sitting on the lap of these worlds’ King. “And now he thrives.”

Leia looked once more - it seemed that was all she could do these days, look and not act - only this time she looked at Hux the son. He didn’t look much like his mother beyond the coloring, but the two of them had the same mannerism, same way of expressing themselves. In that sense, talking to the mother was nearly the same as talking to the son.

There were so many things she wanted to ask, about Ben’s past, his present, the fate they had in store for him. Some answers she could deduce, others she could guess. But for the most important question, perhaps the only one that truly mattered, she couldn’t trust whatever answer these snakes might give. 

Was he happy? Was he loved?

Some horrible, selfish part of her wished he wasn’t. It would be so much easier to bring him home then. 

“What is it that you wish to tell me?” she asked finally, the safest of all her questions. “You did not send Poe away just to gloat.”

“Who is gloating?”

Leia looked at the woman coldly. “Do not insult my intelligence, Lady Hux. I am more than familiar enough with politics to hear the true intent behind words.” 

Lady Hux made a conceding gesture, unfailingly polite and still so insincere. 

“So I ask again,” Leia said. “What is it that you want?”

The woman seemed to contemplate her answer. Leia didn’t know if it was for show or if their conversation had truly altered the intended message. It didn’t really matter, she supposed.

“I wish to say…” Lady Hux finally started. “I love my son just as much as you love your own. I will protect his happiness.” 

She reached out for Leia’s hand, a completely uninvited gesture that the Senator couldn’t reject without somehow losing. So she remained still, never breaking eye contact. The woman may have been leading the conversation, but that in no way meant that she held any sort of power over Leia.

Lady Hux was the first to look away. It was a small victory.

“Whatever plans you have towards Kylo,” Hux said, “I suggest you give up on them.” For once, her tone matched the threat her words implied.

“I have no plans beyond getting to know my son,” Leia lied.

Lady Hux looked at her, blue eyes narrowing. “As you say.”

With that she got up, not even saying goodbye or any sort of platitude. Leia did not mind for a second. She watched her leave, and was completely unsurprised to find her making her way towards their sons.

Perhaps it was because she was sitting close to the two, or maybe it was because the entire world had faded away, but in that moment Leia heard the exchange as clearly as if she had been right beside the three.

“Madame,” Ben greeted. He used the title slaves reserved for their owners so casually, almost teasingly. His smile was pure mischief when he added, “You intrude.”

Behind him, Hux the son smirked, and the Lady smiled indulgently. “Past a certain age, that is a mother’s only resource if she wishes to see her son,” she said, looking at the warlord pointedly. “Even if it is only to bid him good night.”

“Leaving so soon?” Hux asked in mock confusion. His hand never strayed from where they were caressing Ben’s skin. “Old age must be getting to you.”

“That, and a tiresome son,” the Lady shot back. “I trust the two of you will enjoy yourselves without me.”

Ben sighed dramatically. “I will try to forget my sorrow, Madame.”

“Then let me reassure you that at least a part of you is doing very well with happiness,” she answered airily, glancing down at Ben’s crotch. Hux snorted, Ben blushed slightly but still chuckled. The Lady looked satisfied. “And with that, I take my leave.”

She left the tent then, and leaving the two men still snickering. Then Ben twisted slightly, hand disappearing into Hux’s vest, and the warlord leaned in for a kiss that wouldn’t have been acceptable in public back on the Core worlds. 

Leia heard Poe come back to sit next to her.

“Are you okay, Senator?” he asked quietly.

Leia swallowed. “I am as fine as can be expected.”

Poe put his hand on her shoulder. The touch was one of the few things that ground her at that moment. “There is still hope. You finally found him, and I can tell from the way he looks at me that he remembers me.” A pause. “We’ll get him back.”

Leia looked at Ben, whispering into Hux’s ear, drinking from his cup, purposefully oblivious to anyone else in the tent. 

He was a boy, just a boy when everything was taken away from him. And even if what Lady Hux said is true, even if he did rise on top of everything… They still took advantage. 

When Ben was ten, she used to worry about the dark in him, and she knew he could sense that. She thought he understood, thought he knew that didn’t mean she loved him any less, but when he disappeared it was like a catalyst to the reveal of all her failures. So much time spent worrying about the Dark and the shadow she felt looming over him, when she should have been cultivating and celebrating all the Light within his instead.

There was so much of it, in the way he dotted over baby Rey, insisted on combing Chewie’s fur, played Dejarik with his father over and over again, thinking he was helping him improve and not realizing Han was letting him win. 

She had planned on sending him to train with Luke, who would have been best able to help Ben understand the Force, the Light, the Dark. To be a Jedi, if he wanted, but more importantly to find peace.

And then she lost him. Han lost him. 

And they turned her sweet son into someone who could brutally kill a man and laugh not ten minutes later.

He was a boy, he was alone, he was a slave. How could they say he chose anything? What other options were available?

Leia watched Hux take her son by the hand and exit the tent. Most of the delegate didn’t notice, a few nodded their heads as they made their excuses. One of them looked relieved.

As Ben stepped outside and disappeared into the night, she had to stomp down the fear of never seeing him again. 

 

~*~

 

Hux lead Kylo by the hand, back to the tent that was reserved for them. Well, for Hux really, but Kylo has grown more than accustomed to sharing such privileges. 

One of the many perks of being private property. 

Once inside, Kylo wasted no time removing his vest, letting the black and gold fabric fall to the floor as he sprawled onto the bed, relishing in the feeling of sinking into lush pillows and heavy blankets. Lying on his stomach, he looks over his shoulder to see Hux staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

“I didn’t give you permission,” the warlord remarked. There was no anger in his tone.

Kylo smirked. “You always want me in bed,” he answered back, raising his hips ever so slightly. 

Hux rolled his eyes as he climbed on the bed. “And if I ordered you to sleep outside?”

“You wouldn’t,” Kylo replied easily. Hux’s hand nudged him in the side, and Kylo took the cue by rolling onto his back.

“Won’t I?” Hux was looming over him now, propped up on one elbow while his other hand began stroking Kylo’s skin. His fingers never strayed far from his neck. “Outside, in the cold, without the privileges you are so obviously spoiled with. I think it would do you some good. Remind you of your place.”

Kylo felt himself blush slightly: the words brought back many memories of being put back in the most delightful ways. 

He had no doubt it was deliberate.

“My mother might see,” he said after a swallow. “The other Senators as well.”

“What does that matter? They wouldn’t do anything about it.”

Some part of him noticed the ambiguity of the phrasing: did the “they” include his mother or not ? It didn’t truly matter though, because he chose to believe it did. 

He didn’t give a kriff about any of the delegates. All he cared about was Leia Organa. His mother.

When he thought of her in the past, it had been always with longing and in fear that he would never see her again. But the years kept adding up, and the shackles were still on his wrists and ankles, and the anger that had once been reserved for his father was passed onto her as well.

The anger was more useful. The anger he could hone into his blows, into the Force, as he developed both into a homemade, brutal, and destructive style that allowed him to rise as high as he did. 

It wasn’t his looks that had seduced Hux; it had been his brutality.

And even now, the anger remained, and the sight of his mother only fueled the flames. She had looked at him in longing, in hurt at his actions ; but if she has never found him, it was because she didn’t try hard enough. And if she didn’t try hard enough, it meant she deserved everything he said, everything he did. 

Everything Hux did.

The thought made him smile.

“You made them all so angry,” he said, laughter in his voice. “They’d _relish_ the pretext to slander you.”

Hux’s eyes werefull of humor and victory. It was all Kylo could see as Hux leaned forward. “I would let them,” the warlord said in a chuckle. "They have no power here.”

The kiss was not unexpected, but Kylo still melted as Hux’s arm snakes behind him, lifting the small of his back while the other grabbed his hair. Kylo relished the small tugs, not quite painful but still so forceful. 

He liked Hux forceful. Liked it when he just took what he wanted. (That Kylo always gave it freely really wasn’t the point.)

When the warlord broke the kiss, his eyes were shining with hunger.

“I haven’t thanked you yet,” he said quietly. “For killing my would-be-assassin.”

Kylo raised an eyebrow, both amused and surprised. “You’ve never thanked me for killing anyone before. You just fucked me.”

Hux smirked. “Can’t I do both?” 

Before Kylo could answer, he felt Hux’s hand slip underneath his clothing, felt it slither down until it wrapped around Kylo’s cock.

His hips bucked up instinctively, but Hux’s hand merely followed the movement, denying Kylo anything more than what Hux was willing to give. The warlord laid his free hand on Kylo’s thigh, a warning gesture, while his other one began stroking slowly, leisurely. 

Kylo’s fist clenched around the bed covers. It was always so difficult to stay put when he was unrestrained; he knew that’s why Hux enjoyed it so much.

“If I didn’t thank you before,” the redhead said conversationally, as if he wasn’t purposefully tormenting Kylo, “it was because you’re mother wasn’t in the audience then.”

“I didn’t care,” Kylo breathed out quickly. His mind was finding it very difficult to form sentenced, and his increasing panting made it very hard to talk anyway. “I didn’t think about her.”

“Did she think about you?” Hux asked with a smirk.

“You know she did,” Kylo cried out. 

Insolent words, but he only cared about that half the time, and this particular moment wasn’t one of them.

“Tell me anyway,” Hux said forcefully. The grip around Kylo’s cock tightening, making the warrior gasp and writhe. “Tell me everything. I _command_ it.”

Kylo had to bite back a moan. “She… she wants to take me back,” he breathed out when he finally felt capable of speaking again. “She wants me to go back to her. Back to the Republic.”

“Does she?” 

Hux seemed to consider his words intensely. Kylo might have believed it, if it weren’t for the increasing friction, the twist of a palm as it kept on stroking, and _oh Maker!_

He heard Hux chuckle at his reaction, at how he bucked his hips again to chase that slight scraping of nails. He didn’t care.

The warlord hummed. “And will she have what she wants?”

Kylo shook his head wildly. “You wouldn’t allow it,” he panted, and moaned at his own words.

Hux wouldn’t allow it, because Kylo was his property, Hux _owned_ him and he… and he...

“No, I wouldn’t,” Hux agreed pleasantly, before suddenly tightening his grip.

Kylo let out a choked sound, the edge which had been so close coming closer still, and his legs were trembling from the effort of staying still and oh _Force_..!

But then Hux’s hand stopped stroking, and Kylo bit back a cry as his climax slipped just out of reach. 

“But would you?” Hux asked, voice losing all playfulness for a dangerous, delicious intensity. 

“I…I…” He tried to speak, really he did, but he was so, so close, and if he could just _think…_

“I asked you a question, Kylo.”

“I… kriff!” he cried out in both outrage and satisfaction. He raised his head to look upon the man he wanted to both kiss and bite. “You know the answer, you...!” 

Hux’s eyes darkened slightly, his nostrils flared at the title, and the redhead leaned forward, until his mouth was next to the shell of Kylo’s ear. “Answer me, Kylo,” he whispered. "Or I'll assume you agree with her. And I'll give you what you want."

Kylo keened, and words finally came back.

“No, no! I want to stay! Please, please, I want to stay!” he finally managed, a desperate babble. “Please, please let me stay!”

“Of course I will, you sweet thing,” Hux cooed, resuming his stroking, faster, tighter. Kylo almost wept for joy. “Of course I will.” 

He lightly kisses all over Kylo’s face, on his brow, his nose, his cheeks, until his lips were next to Kylo’s ear again.

And then he whispered. 

“I will never let anyone take you away.”

Kylo moaned as he came, the words playing over and over in his mind even as pleasure rushed through him, even as he spilled in his pants and Hux’s hand and was left a boneless heap on the bed.

Through half-lidded eyes, he saw Hux wiping his hand on the bed covers, before rolling to the side and standing up.

Kylo made a sound of protest. “Don’t you want me to…?”

“Not tonight, I think,” Hux replied. He smirked at Kylo’s dismayed face. “Don’t worry, Ren. I’ll have you suck me off in the morning.”

Despite his very recent climax, Kylo shivered.

Hux undressed as Kylo pulled the cum-covered blanket off the bed, along with his now filthy pants. The air in the tent suddenly felt cold against his naked skin. As soon as Hux joined him onto the bed, he clung to him, draping his arms around the warlord’s chest and resting his head against his shoulder.

“How long are they staying again?” he mumbled.

A servant came in to pick up the dirty pile on the floor and bring them a new blanket. The added heat didn’t make him relinquish his hold on Hux.

“Two days,” the redhead answered. “Though now all that is left in discussing logistics.”

“How boring.”

“You were already bored today,” the warlord remarked. His hand came to comb through Kylo’s hair. “If you can’t stay still, then feel free to hunt down Thanisson’s allies. The man may be an idiot, but I don’t think he would have tried to become chief without some support.”

“I killed him too fast,” Kylo mumbled regretfully. “I was too angry.”

“You’re always angry,” Hux said, yawning. “We’ll make up for it with the rest.”

With that, the warlord closed his eyes, clearly more than ready to sleep.

Kylo bit his lips. “Can I use the lightsaber?”

“If you don’t cut your own hand off, yes,” Hux answered. “Now let me sleep.”

Kylo smiled, pressed a kiss to Hux’s shoulder in thanks, and closed his eyes as well.

**Author's Note:**

> As I said over on the kink meme: this AU is refusing to leave my mind. A few people expressed an interest in me writing prompts for this AU. So if you have any request/headcanon, just drop them in my inbox at courgette96.tumblr.com !
> 
> In general, feel free to come talk about kylux. I like talking about Kylux.^^


End file.
